The present invention relates to an image combining apparatus for a digital copier of the type having a delay memory and four photoconductive drums.
A digital color copier having four photoconductive drums each being operable with respective one of a yellow developer Y, a magenta developer M, a cyan developer C and a black developer Bk is drawing much attention in the imaging art. In this type of copier, a buffer memory may be installed to serve as a delay memory, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Utility Publication (Kokai) No. 61-196268. The drums each being assigned to a different color as mentioned above are arranged at predetermined intervals. It has been customary to use the delay memory solely to delay the output of data associated with the individual colors in association with the distances of the drums. This, coupled with the fact that a memory for storing data of a color associated with the drum which is closest to a paper feed side of the copier has not been provided, leaves some problems left unsolved.